Hybrid electric propulsion offers increased maneuverability for aerospace applications and is currently one of the top choices for vertical take-off and vertical landing aircraft. At the same time hybrid electric propulsion increases safety and reliability over traditional systems. It also offers easier maintenance, together with environmental and cost benefits.
In general hybrid electric propulsion systems consist of an engine, that can be a turbine engine, driving a generator to produce electric power which is distributed and conditioned to supply electric motors that drive the propulsion fans or propellers of the aircraft.
Driving the electric motors used for propulsion of an aircraft such that they achieve maximum torque and highest efficiency has required power converters. Since the power required is large, ranging from several hundred kilowatts (kW) to megawatts (MW), the power converters required are heavy, bulky and costly. They also increase the complexity of the system decreasing the overall reliability, providing, in general, a suboptimal system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide hybrid electric aircraft propulsion systems and methods of controlling hybrid electric aircraft propulsion systems that maximize torque and efficiency without the additional heavy, costly and complex componentry.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics the herein described embodiments will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.